Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of ^(A)the temple.

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil^[a] of David.

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil^[a] of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

²² “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly ^(A)at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And ^(B)he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. ²³ And ^(C)as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders. ²⁴ And you said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and ^(D)greatness, and ^(E)we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man ^(F)still live. ²⁵ Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. ^(G)If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die. ^26 (H)For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? ²⁷ Go near and hear all that the Lord our God will say, and ^(I)speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

²⁸ “And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. ^(J)They are right in all that they have spoken. ^29 (K)Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, ^(L)that it might go well with them and with their descendants^[a] forever! ³⁰ Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” ³¹ But you, stand here by me, and ^(M)I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ ³² You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. ^(N)You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. ^33 (O)You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and ^(P)that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

¹³ Since we have ^(A)the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ^(B)“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that ^(C)he who raised the Lord Jesus ^(D)will raise us also with Jesus and ^(E)bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ For ^(F)it is all for your sake, so that as ^(G)grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, ^(H)to the glory of God.

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. ^(I)Though our outer self^[a] is wasting away, ^(J)our inner self ^(K)is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For ^(L)this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ^18 (M)as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Our Heavenly Dwelling

5 For we know that if ^(N)the tent that is ^(O)our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, ^(P)a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this tent ^(Q)we groan, longing to ^(R)put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ if indeed by putting it on^[b] we may not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal ^(S)may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, ^(T)who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that ^(U)while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for ^(V)we walk by faith, not ^(W)by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we ^(X)would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to ^(Y)please him. ¹⁰ For ^(Z)we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ^(AA)so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in ^(A)purple and fine linen and ^(B)who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate ^(C)was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with ^(D)what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by ^(E)the angels ^(F)to Abraham's side.^[a] The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in ^(G)Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and ^(H)saw Abraham far off and Lazarus ^(I)at his side. ²⁴ And he called out, ^(J)‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and ^(K)cool my tongue, for ^(L)I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that ^(M)you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have ^(N)Moses and the Prophets; ^(O)let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, ^(P)father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear ^(Q)Moses and the Prophets, ^(R)neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”